Fighting temptation

Introduction

temptation. The etymology of the Lat. word (temptatio), of which the Heb. (מַסָּה) and Greek (πειρασμός) equivalents are neutral in flavour, suggests ‘trying’ or ‘proving’. This primary sense is retained in the ideas of the children of Israel’s tempting God () and of God’s tempting *Abraham (), and in .: ‘Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations, knowing this, that the trial of your faith worketh patience’. Perhaps it was by an extension of this usage that the word was applied to the persecutions of the early Christians. It is also possible that this is the meaning of the word in the *Lord’s Prayer.

Elsewhere in the NT, as in present-day usage, the word has the implication of incitement to sin. St *Augustine distinguished temptation which tended to issue in sin (tentatio deceptionis or seductionis) from temptation which merely put to the proof (tentatio probationis). Both he and St *Gregory the Great divided the former into the three stages of suggestion, delight, and consent (suggestio, delectatio, consensus). In this, the classical sense, temptation seems to be part of universal experience which already attacked our first parents before the *Fall. But, although St *Paul warns his readers against committing acts which though innocent in themselves might be a temptation to others, he nowhere implies that inclination to wrongful action is sinful before consent. Acc. to the author of the Epistle of St *James, temptation is inherent in free will, but God does not permit it beyond what the soul can bear. He warns his readers against regarding God as its author (1:13). The three traditional sources of temptation are the world, the flesh, and the devil. Although in the OT the tempter is regularly regarded as personal, the Lord also points to the weakness of the flesh as the cause of temptation (), while James holds that lust is its main source (1:14 f.).

Modern psychologists, who frequently interpret sin mainly as psychological disorder, often teach that the forms of temptation rooted in the appetites are primarily natural instincts, which as such ought, at least to some extent, to be satisfied. They are apt to regard many forms of mental temptation, notably those which may lead to scruples and illusions, as of a much more serious nature. Since temptation is heightened by resistance, they frequently advocate circumvention rather than direct defence as the best means of avoiding repression. For the Christian moralist, the fundamental ethical facts remain unaffected by these psychological analyses. Rightly appreciated, these analyses can be of positive service to him in assisting him to a better estimation of the roots of moral action and enabling him to see where moral responsibility really lies.

See also the following entry.

Cross, F. L., & Livingstone, E. A. (Eds.). (2005). In The Oxford dictionary of the Christian Church (3rd ed. rev., pp. 1597–1598). Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press.

TEST The process of proving one’s worth. When ascribed to God in his dealings with people, it means that God tests his peoples’ faith and moral character. When the word is used in a negative way, it means “to tempt”—that is, to entice, solicit, or provoke to sin. Both senses of the word could be applied to Jesus’ forty days of trial in the wilderness. He was tested by God and found faithful, while he was tempted by Satan and found sinless. The Spirit of God led Jesus into the wilderness to have his faith tried; but the agent in this trial was the wicked one, whose whole object was to seduce Jesus from his allegiance to God. It was temptation in the bad sense of the term. Yet Jesus did not give in to temptation; he passed the test

Elwell, W. A., & Comfort, P. W. (2001). In Tyndale Bible dictionary (p. 1248). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

Have a Heart for God

You have to know what satan is doing. Jesus know He was say it worked on Israel, but it won’t work on me.

The first temptation concerns the heart how Israel’s hunger was intended to test their heart for God ().

What type of son Will Jesus be. Jesus is not tempted by the disrespect to the sonship. But the tempter is trying to persuade Jesus to go against what God said at his baptism.

Jesus baptism evoked the Fathers’ approving words concerning his sonship; now those approving words evoke Satan’s command for Jesus to relieve his hunger by turning stones into loaves of bread. At issue here is the type of Son Jesus will be. Will he unitize his endowment with the spirit in a selfish fashion, or will he humbly depend on his father to meet his needs.

After fasting forty days and nights reflects Israel’s forty years in the wandering () Moses forty day fast. In fact, Israel became “hungry”. So this got Satan to try to capitalizes on Jesus’s hunger.

Prove to me who you are FEED YOURSELF.

But Jesus unlike Israel remember how God takes care of him .

The Leap of Faith

The Highest point of life. Looking down on the Kidron Valley

Go from trusting God to testing him. ().

Stunt to appeal to the masses. I jesus leap would show that Jesus doesn't trust God but he begins to test God.

Stunt to appeal to the masses. If jesus leap would show that Jesus doesn't trust God but he begins to test God. By failing to trust him and demanding water, saying Is the lord among us or not.

Take Authority

God had allowed Satan certain Authority in this world, Satan is offering this to Jesus. The use of all the kingdoms along with their glory stresses the earthly aspect; Satan could only offer earthly glory, not lasting glory.